Loose gold nuggets

Gold has excited humans since the dawn of time. The first gold found occurred naturally on the surface of the earth or as nuggets in rivers and streams. The exquisiste color and supurb workability made gold highly sought after for decorative items, ancient jewelry and formed the basis of many monetary systems. Gold has always symbolized wealth, power and strength.

Gold nuggets have become more rare since almost all gold nuggets found prior to 1990 have been melted down. Until recently, gold nuggets themselves held no intrinsic value and were assayed strictly for gold value. Fortunately, now the appreciation of the rarity and uniqueness of nuggets, and nostalgia, have caused gold nuggets to be treasured in their natural form for fine jewelry and collections.

Gold, in its pure state, is so soft that it is normally mixed with another metal before being used in jewelry. Gold is normally alloyed with silver or copper to make a stronger mix of metals. The percentage of pure gold in the alloy is stated in karats, abbreviated as Kt or K. Pure gold is stated as 24kt, 18kt gold is 75% gold, 14kt gold is 58% gold and so on.